JOHANNESBURG, Oct 15 (Reuters) - A decision by Moody’s to delay its review on South Africa’s sovereign debt buoyed the rand to its strongest in a week as it rallied for the third straight session against the dollar on Monday.

Stocks followed Asian stocks lower over concerns that trade war tensions between the United States and China were starting to affect economic growth in the world’s second biggest economy.

The rand was 1.0 percent stronger at 14.3750 per dollar at 1600 GMT, adding to its early session gains to cross the 14.4400 resistance level after retail figures in the United States undershot expectations, sending the greenback weaker.

Traders said the decision by Moody’s to postpone publishing a review of the country’s debt from Friday had given the rand a push. Moody’s did not announce a new date for releasing its rating on Africa’s most industrialised economy.

While most analysts saw little risk of a downgrade by Moody’s, the last of the top three ratings firms to rank Pretoria’s debt investment grade, the possibility of a change to the outlook had prompted some bearish positioning.